Nevada
Absent from the NCAA Tournament for four year, the Wolf Pack got back to the Big Dance last season and are looking to make a second straight trip with their strong play recently. This program has really started to bear fruit again under coach Steve Alford, with an impressive 5-2 mark in Quad 1 play putting them in good position to dance, though their NET is just 47 at the moment.
A very early road win at Washington was the first Quad 1 win and the second would come weeks later against TCU. The Wolf Pack began the season 15-1 before hitting trouble in MWC play, including a tough Quad 3 loss against Wyoming. However, they’ve added three Quad 1 wins in recent weeks, beating Colorado State at home, upending Utah State on the road, and outlasting San Diego State this past Friday.
Their recent hot streak could continue with a home date against New Mexico and that would do wonders for a resume that could add a 6th Quad 1 game. They lost by 34 points to these Lobos and a better showing would be instrumental to this resume. They still have a handful of road games in league play, including against two of the teams on this list, so there’s no rest in the weeks ahead.